Incinerator



Oct. 24, 1950 H. E. c. HUBER INCINERATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 2,1947 Oct. 24, 1950 H. E. c. HUBER 2,527,188

INCINERATOR Filed Dec. 2, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 n 10 a ZZ/ms/vrmg Oct.24, 1950 H. E. c. HUBER INCINERATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 2, 1947AWvd Patented Oct. 24, 1950 INCINERATOR Hugo Edwin Carl Huber, London,England, as-

signor to The Nineteen Thirty Investment Trust Limited, London, England,a British company 2 Application December 2, 1947, Serial No. 789,313

In Great Britain January 1, 1947 4 Claims.

This invention relates to incinerators and is concerned with theprovision of a self-contained unit for the satisfactory disposal ofsoiled sanitary towels, septic bandages, soiled dressings and the likehereinafter referred to as bandages.

According to the present invention there is provided an incinerator forsoiled bandages, comprising a cumbustion chamber and a flue dis posedabove such combustion chamber, wherein a hopper device is arranged to beangularly mov able in a mouth through which soiled bandages are to beintroduced into the combustion cham her, said hopper device being soarranged that it can be brought to a position where a soiled bandage canbe placed in the hopper whilst the latter closes said mouth, the hopperdevice being then displaceable to a position where it discharges thebandage into the combustion space and where it also serves to close saidmouth.

For a better understanding of the nature of the invention and to showhow 'the same may be carried into eiiect reference will now be made tothe accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of an incinerator of the invention, theenclosing casing being removed,

Fig-ure 2 is a side view of Figure 1 as seen from the left hand side ofFigure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of Figure 1 asseen in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 2 but show ing a differentoperative position, and.

Figure is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the same operativeposition as in Figure 4.

In this example the incinerator essentially comprises a wall plate I towhich two principal side plates 2 and 3 are secured. Two electricalresistance heating elements 4 and 5 are fixedly disposed in spacedrelation between the side plates 2 and 3, so as to leave a combustionspace between these heating elements. An asbestos sheet 'I is held inposition loosely by a clip-on strip 8, and serves to prevent escape ofheat from the combustion chamber. A curved plate 9 is located above thecombustion chamber and is shaped so as to direct articles forincineration, into such chamber.

Plates ill and II are arranged to constitute a flue, which is at itsupper end closed by a further plate l2, associated with a chimney l3. Asindicated at [4 (Figures 3 and 5), there may be asbestos lagging toprevent the undesired escape of heat from the flue. At its lower end theplate II is bent upwardly to form the upper wall I5 of a mouth, of whichthe lower wall is formed by the curved plate 9. The mouth is providedwith a closure flap l6 pivotally supported at ll.

A reception device for articles to be incinerated is carried upon apivot l8, and is shaped as a hopper comprising two relatively angularlydisplaced plates l9 and 20. From a comparison of Figures 3 and 5 it willbe seen that the hopper device can occupy a position where the plate 2%)is in continuation of the flue formed over the combustion chamber, oralternatively. the plate :19 can occupy this position. The angularcontrol of the hopper device is obtained through its .pivotal support 18which carries a cam 19A cooperating with a pin 20A provided upon a bar2!. A bracket 22 pivotally receives one end of an operating handle 23which is effectively integral with the bar 2|. The latter possesses afurther pin 24 for co-operation with a cam 25 secured upon the pivot llof the closure fiap 16.

In Figures 2 and 3 the incinerator is seen when the handle 23 is in anormalposition of rest. The cam I9A is then held by aspring 26 in suchposition that the hopper device is located as shown in Figure 3 i. e.with the plate 23 closing the mouth through which access to thecombustion space or chamber. 6 can be had. At the same time the closureflap l6 occupies the position shown in Figure 3 under the action ofgravity. If now the operating handle 23 is swung towards the positionshown in Figure 4, then first the pin 20A effectively encounters the camISA, and, against the action of the spring 26, causes the latter to beturned towards the position shown. in Figure 4. This results in theswinging of. the hopper device towards the position shown in Figure 5,where the plate It closes the mouth and completes the flue over thecombustion space. After the swinging movement of the hopper device hascommenced, the pin 24 encounters the cam 25 and causes the closure flapI6 to beraised to the position shown in Figures 4 and 5.

When the incinerator is in the operative position shown in Figures 4 and5, a soiled bandage can be dropped into the hopper device and it willrest upon the plates 9 and Hi. When the handle 23 is returned to theposition shown in Figures 2 and 3, the hopper device swings to displacethe bandage into the combustion chamber, the plate 20 finallyresumingits location where it continues the line, so that fumes from thecombustion process will not escape from the entry mouth. It is importantto realise that if the handle 23 is operated whilst a bandage is alreadybeing incinerated, then the plate 19 of the hopper device will serve toclose off the mouth and prevent the undesired escape of fumes.

The swinging movement of the bar 2| is employed to control electricallythe operation of the resistance heating elements 4 and 5. These elementshave their circuit interrupted and completed through a time-delaymercury switch. The mercury switch comprises a tube 30 having contacts3| and 32 which can be bridged by the mercury within the tube 30. Thetube is supported upon an arm 33 which is pivoted at 34 to the bracket22. The lower end of the arm 33 has a plunger 35 secured to it, theplunger co-operating with a dash-pot 36. A set-screw 37 is located on alug 31A provided upon the bar 2| and is adapted to engage the arm 33.When the handle 23 is in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3, the bar2| lies with the set-screw 3! remote from the arm 33. The mercury withinthe tube 39 does not bridge the contacts 3| and 32, and therefore theheating elements i and are de-energised. If now the handle 23 is swungtowards the operative position shown in Figures 4 and 5, the bar 2|turns until the set-screw 31 contacts the lower depending portion of thearm The plunger 35 is forced into the dash-pot 35, and the arm 33 swingsso that the mercury within the tube 39 bridges the contacts 35 and 32(i. e. the position shown in Figure 4). The heating elements 4 and 5 arenow supplied with electric power and an intensive heat develops in thecombustion chamber. When the handle 23 is allowed to return to theinoperative position shown in Figures 2 and 3, the plunger 35 graduallymoves out of the dash-pot 35, at a pre-determined rate that can be setby adjustment of the dashpot and plunger device. Preferably the dash-potand plunger device is of the known kind in which the initial outwardmovement of the plunger is relatively slow whilst the last part of suchmovement, is rapid. The rapid movement accounts for the criticalswinging of the tube 35 to the position where the mercury no longerbridges the contacts 31 and 32. It is of course desirable that the breakin the electrical circuit should be rapidly achieved so as to reducesparking within the mercury switch.

As indicated in Figure 1, there is a lamp holder 38 which is intended toreceive a pilot lamp so that when the circuit to the heating elementsand 5 is completed, the pilot lamp glows and indicates this condition.

The combustion chamber 3 is lined with several parallel wires one ofwhich may be seen at in Figures 3 and 5. The wires are spaced from oneanother so that eifectively at their lower sides they form a grate uponwhich the bandage to be burnt may rest. As seen from below the grate hasa convexity in order to permit a scraper plate All to swingtherebeneath. The plate 4a is carried by a pair of sector arms 4!, eacharm being pivotally secured to a bracket 42. A spring 44 ensures thatthe scraper plate assembly normally occupies the position shown inFigures 2 and 3, the travel of the assembly being limited by a fixedstop il. One of the sector arms M carries an angle bracket 45 engaged bya pin 5 provided upon the bar 2!. As seen best from Figures 2 and 4,when the handle 23 is brought to the operative position (Figure 4) thepin 45 causes the scraper plate assembly to be displaced from theposition seen clearly in Figure 3 to that in Figure 5. The scraper plate40 ensures thus that the grate of the combustion chamber is periodicallyscraped clear of ashes. The plate 40 is preferably made wholly perforateso that ashes can pass through the same when they fall through the grateof the combustion space. A tray 50 is provided for the reception of theashes, this tray being supported by a bar 5| held by wing-nuts 52 toangle-pieces 53, fixed to the brackets 42. Corner-pieces 54 are attachedto the ends of the brackets 42 and receive the upper front corners ofthe tray 50. By slackin off the wing nuts 52, the bar 5! can bewithdrawn by grasping a de pending hand grip portion 5 IA.

The finished incinerator has an enclosing casing which is not shown inthe drawings. The casing is provided with a door which lifts with theclosure flap l6, and there is, of course, a window to permit viewing ofthe lamp held in the lamp-holder 38. A suitable slot is formed in thecasing to permit the handle 23 to project therethrough.

The casing preferably is designed so as to leave an air gap around theenclosed incinerator, thus to afiord a heat insulation for the casing.

I claim:

1. An incinerator comprising a combustion chamber having a stationarygrate at its lower end and a flue at its upper end, electric heatingmeans for heating said combustion chamber, a switch for controlling thesupply of current to said heating means, a time delay device operativelyconnected with said switch to assure the I closed switch position for anadjustably predetermined period of time after the switch has beenclosed, an incinerator charge receiving opening in said flue, a closuremember for said opening, said closure member being movable from an opencharge receiving position to a closed charge discharging position, amovable ash scraper associated with said grate, a single hand operatedcontrol means for simultaneously moving said closure member and said ashscraper, and means connecting said control means with said switch meanswhereby the movement of said control means to effect a closure of saidclosure member is also effective to move said switch to a closedposition for energizing said heating means.

2. The incinerator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said closure memberconsists of two pla es etfectively joined along one side and angularlydisplaced with respect to one another about their line of joinder, saidclosure member being piv-- otally connected to said flue at the axis ofjoinder of the plates so that the flue opening is closed by one of saidplates when the closure is in the open position to receive a chargebetween said plates, the movement of said closure to the closed positionbeing effective to discharge the charge into said combustion chamberwith the other of said plates in position to close the opening in saidflue.

3. The incinerator as claimed in claim 2 where.- in a cover member ispivotall connected to said flue in a manner to overlie said opening andclosure member when said closure member is in the closed position, andmeans operated by said single control means for moving said cover meansto expose said opening and closure member when said closure member ismoved to the charge receiving open position.

4. The incinerator as claimed in claim 1 where in said ash scrapercomprises a scraper plate carried by pivotal arms beneath said grate,said arms being operatively connected with said single control meanswhereby each movement of said control means causes a pivotal movement ofsaid arms to effect a traversing of the grate by said scraper plate ina, manner'to remove ashes from said grate.

HUGO EDWIN CARL HUBER. REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date McDonald Jan. 27, 1903 Number 6 1Name Date Brennan Apr. 22, 1919 Epstein Jan. 1, 1929 Heybeck Mar. 26,1929 Wyse Apr. 15, 1930 Ewing May 28, 1935 McKinley Aug. 6, 1935Zimmerman Mar. 26, 1940 Rymer Feb. 12, 1946 MacLaren July 16, 1946Hebert Apr. 4, 1950

